The Red Glaive

Nalia stared at Reading’s unconscious body. There was drool slowly dribbling out of his overtly wide snoring mouth. Nalia hated him. Not Reading, but the man he became when he drank beyond the point of slight inebriation. He had promised to stand by her, she wasn’t sure it was safe to stand by him. He had promised her he would stop if he brought him Aeria Finch. And he had, but only because he had made a complete and utter fool of himself before passing out.

Sober Reading was ruthless. When those border disputes escalated it was Reading who rode out and quelled those petulant Durian Barons with his father’s armies. That was the man Nalia needed him to be all the time. There was no place for the drunkard if they were to form any kind of alliance.  

There was always Sidwell. . . Nearly as good a warrior as his half-brother. Unfortunately, he was smarter than Reading. That would make him much harder to manipulate. No, it’d have to be Reading.

“My lady.” Reading’s slave girl, Tammy, said entering the room though she too had a band around her neck, it had yet to activate. She was young, and pretty to look at. Reading always liked to surround himself with beautiful women.

“What is it?” Nalia snapped irritated with Reading.

“There’s a Baron here.” she said her gaze not rising to meet hers.

“The meeting was canceled.” Nalia said. It would do nothing to their cause if they came and saw Reading in such a state.

“Of course my la- hey, you can’t come in here!”

Nalia turned to where the handmaid was failing to keep a man from entering. She glanced exasperated at Nalia and Nalia waved her hand. He was not one of the ones she had invited, but he seemed so adamant to enter, might as well hear him out.

“I heard there was some sort of meeting of Durian Barons.” he said once Tammy had released him. The look of utter contempt he held for Tammy vanished once he turned to face Nalia. “I must have missed the invitation.” he said sitting in the chair opposite of Nalia.

“You weren’t invited.” Nalia sweetly earning a frown. Ringed fingers tensed on the chair’s arm rests. Gaudy rings, fine silks embroidered with gold, thick chained gold necklaces. This could only be one person. “I did not realize you had arrived in the capital, Baron Stone.” she said sitting next to him.

But of course she had expected him eventually. She had been the one to send the letter informing him of his dead betrothed’s participation in the contest. Luckily for her he had been doing business in Glacies, just a short boat ride away.

Was the woman in the contest Aeria Finch? She was staying in Adelaide’s mansion, the dead girl’s sister. That seemed to be proof enough though if she wanted absolute proof, all she had to do was arrange a meeting with Aeria and her poor grieving groom.

That hot piece of gossip, Nalia was saving if, and only if, Prince Valerian chose Aeria over her. If she was already meant for another, Valerian couldn’t chose someone that would cause a such a scandal. And he would choose her wouldn’t he, if they ever met. She had to be the elusive Silver Oasis girl, as much as Nalia had searched she could not find a single dark haired, red eyed girl anywhere. Until, that is, Aeria Finch decided to compete in the pageant. No, she would not allow Valerian to select her, at least not so easily.

“Well, I’m here, what’s this meeting about?” Dorian said waving his jeweled hand dismissively.

Nalia had never met any of the Stones. She had heard Barrett Stone was of old blood. Too old now to have kept any of the prestige, but he was wealthy and very good a hiding his wealth. This son, not so much. He was rather handsome, that Nalia would admit, if only the darkness in his eyes didn’t spread to the rest of his features. None of the expensive items made something like that go away. It only made her wonder exactly how much of a horde his family possessed.

“Funding.” Nalia said frankly. “For a very important Durian project.”

Dorian raised an eyebrow. “What business have you with Durus?” Dorian said sitting back in his chair. Cold grey eyes intrigued.

Nalia glanced down at Reading’s sleeping body. “Just helping out a friend until it ceases to be convenient for me.”

“I see.” he said before Tammy came and served him a drink. The way he looked at her sent a chill down her spine. He’d ask Reading for her, without a doubt. “If it’s funding you want you should’ve just come to me. There is nothing I cannot afford.”

“This will cost more than a few gold rings on your fingers.” Nalia said. He smiled and called Tammy over. The girl looked terrified.

“You see this chain.” he told her removing the thickest gold chain link necklace around his neck. Each link was as thick as one of Nalia’s thumbs and gemstones were inlayed randomly within the links as if someone had decided that pure gold wasn’t enough of a statement.

The girl nodded meekly trying her best to avoid eye contact. “It’s worth more than ten times of what you would sell for in the market.” the slave girl said nothing. “Take it.” Tammy’s eyes went wide and her gaze snapped to where her master lay past out drunk then she glanced at Nalia as if begging for help. Nalia shrugged. She didn’t belong to her.

“Here.” Dorian said growing impatient with her reluctance forced the chain over her head. “Now this is a gift.” he said looping the long heavy chain around her neck a second time. “So you’ve got to keep it.” then he grabbed her by the chin to force her to look at him. “Don’t ever let me catch you without it.” The girl nodded and practically ran out of the room when he released her.

“How generous of you.” she said. Nobles didn’t easily part with their gold. Part of her wished he’d given her than necklace. Nalia could have easily traded it for a ship or two.

“Would you like one my lady?” he said leaning forward in his seat. “You know, the best way for a woman to make a fortune is to get married.” he said to place a jeweled hand on her knee. “One should always marry up never down.”

“Yes,” Nalia said standing. He, wealthy, but still just a Baron. She the heir of Lord Armthal of Flumina. “One should marry up, not down.” Dorian clenched his jaw but said nothing.

Nalia saw an opportunity in this man. He had some idea what was said about his family. Old blood. Irrelevant in any Durus politics. He wanted the influence his ancestors once held in the Duowell court. If he was as wealthy as he was implying the other Barons wouldn’t have to be involved. The least amount of ears that heard the fewer mouths there were to spill the secret.

Nalia took a few steps so that she was standing before him. He was scowling like a child. She smiled then gracefully got on his chair with him. Straddling him. That seemed to surprise him. “I’m saving my hand for something greater Baron Stone.” she said slowly grinding her hips against his, his whole body tensing beneath her. “But if it’s payment you want, I have a greater prize for you.” she stopped and glanced over her shoulder at Reading’s sleeping body. “What do you think of Lady Serafina?”

“His sister?”

“Not just his sister. First born and Lord Roch Whittal’s only daughter. Roch is old, Reading is essentially Lord now and I bet I can convince Reading to arrange it.”

“In how much time? I’d rather have it sooner rather than later, I’d just have to get out of this damned annulment. Perhaps you can help me with that?”

Nalia was perplexed, she nearly lost the seductive look she had perfected on her face. “Annulment? I thought you were only betrothed?”

“It’s old Durus custom.” Dorian said pulling at the strings of her tightly wound corset. Distracted by his task he answered nearly absentmindedly. “Our fathers had me and my dearly departed bride married post death so that her greedy father could keep her bride price.”

“So right now. You’re married?. . To her?” Nalia nearly laughed. She didn’t care that she was killing the mood with her astonished questions.

“Unfortunately.” he said sitting back in his chair, but Nalia and joyously kissed him.

“Where have you been all this time!” Nalia said pulling into another more intense kiss.

If she expected a scandal to keep the prince away from Aeria Finch, now she learned that the girl was already married by old Durus custom. Dorian Stone seemed to be wealthier than anyone anticipated and was willing to fund whatever they were doing so long as they allowed him in their circle.

Everything was just falling into place.